January 2008

January 10, 2008

So, the emails are coming in, asking me if my cheese has finally slipped off my cracker for good! What is the deal with all this cleaning? Well....it seems like now is a good time to let you all in on part 2 of my plan (insert evil laugh here!)

Those of you who have done work with Spellmaker before, know that the first step in some of the work that we do is elimination. To get rid of obstacles, negative patterns or thought processes, baggage from past experiences. In love work, the Leave My Man/Woman Alone spell is to address such things, and is the initial spell done in many love cases. Anyone who has done the Mind Body Spirit candle magick kits know that in the petitioning for them, we often recommend to first state what it is to be removed, and then what it is you wish to replace that icky stuff with. So, see the pattern here..remove and replace, remove and replace, remove and replace.

So, by cleaning up our living space around us, by decluttering, by breaking up the stagnant energy, by taking out the trash and opening up space, we will then be ready in a bit to do some heavy duty inviting in of some wonderful stuff!

February isnt far off now -- just a few weeks. The wonderful month of Erzulie Freda and all the pink, romantic, warm , loving feelings that go along with her :-) See where we are going here??? There are lots of things that we can do to invite the lovely energy of Erzulie into our homes and into our spaces. The Feng Shui articles about romance and such will give you a good starting place about how to arrange things in the physical to help open up that kind of energy. Then we have products that can facilitate things on a spiritual level and much more specifically for inviting Ezulie's blessings as well. I will get to more of the how next week. But, for now, keep removing what you can, cleaning and refreshing the space around you and be ready to invite in some new, wonderful vibrations in February!

January 09, 2008

Overwhelmed? I was when I first looked around :) Where do I start? What do I save? What do I toss? Where do I put stuff in the meantime? Truthfully, I almost have up and stopped de-cluttering because things were actually looking worse when I first started --- (does that sound familiar to any of you????) but I stuck with it and I have a real sense of accomplishment and a neat and tidy place and lots more room, too! So, hang in there, chunk it down and keep on keepin on! You will be glad you did!Light and Love, Sister Bridget

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Clutter-Clearing Tips that Work by Stephanie Roberts

Coping with clutter is rarely easy. There's more involved than just catching up on overdue housework, and staying focused and motivated over the weeks or months it may take to get the job done can be one of the biggest challenges. Here are some tips to help you stick with it until it's done:

1. "How do you eat an elephant?... One bite at a time!" That's a good way to approach clutter clearing: one "bite-sized" task at a time. An entire house, or even a room, of clutter can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on a single small area - one shelf in a bookcase or one drawer in the kitchen, for example - before moving on to the next.

2. Don't expect to get it done in a weekend. It probably took a long time for all that stuff to pile up, so make peace up front with the fact that getting rid of it is going to take some time, too. Plan to do a little bit every day over a longer period of time, rather than waiting until you have a large chunk of free time available to devote to clutter-clearing (which may never happen!).

3. Set time goals, not task goals. If you've decided to declutter the kitchen cabinets on Saturday morning, for example, but it's really an all-day job, you've set yourself up for failure. Instead, set a goal to work on the kitchen for three hours on Saturday. That way, when the time it up, you'll have met your goal even if the task itself is not entirely completed.

4. Use a timer to get over the "don't-wannas." Tell yourself you only have to focus on clutter for 5 minutes. Pick your bite-sized target (one drawer, one shelf, or one pile of paper) set your timer, and go go go for five minutes. When the timer chimes, you can stop… or keep going, now that you've established some momentum.

5. If you just can't make a "keep or toss" decision about something, put it in a "for now" box and plan to return to it later when you are feeling more decisive. Items that you do wish to keep, but that have no "home" in your home, go in a separate box with other things you need to make space for. This way you end up with pre-sorted boxes of stuff you still need to deal with, rather than leaving things where you found them (which is not where they belong, or you wouldn't have a clutter problem).

6. Be prepared to make more of a mess before things look better. You can't do a thorough job of clearing out a closet, for example, unless you begin by removing everything that's in there. That means you're going to create a big heap o'stuff while you are sorting and purging. Don't mistake the temporary mess for lack of progress; just keep doing a little bit at a time until you've gone through it all and made decisions about what to keep and where to keep it.

7. Get rid of the excess first, before you think about organizing and storage. One of the most common mistakes people make is to buy more storage containers before they've decluttered. Eventually, they end up with a home cluttered with boxes and bags and bins of other clutter. Sort and purge first, then tackle storage.

8. Reward your accomplishments, both great and small. Finished the hall closet today? Good for you; now make an appointment for that manicure you promised yourself. Plan in advance what treats you will earn as you reach your clutter-clearing milestones; knowing you have a specific reward coming will help you stay motivated to stick with the process until it is done.

Of course, the biggest reward of all is the joy and convenience of living in a home that is free of clutter. Don't wait another day to get started!

January 08, 2008

Having trouble getting started? Here is an article to help you get going! And please post a comment or two and let me know how this is going !Light and Love, Sister Bridget

When 'Just Do It' Isn't Enough: Coping with the Emotional Aspects of Clutter Clearingby Stephanie Roberts

One reason so many clutter-clearing efforts fail or remain uncompleted is that we have this idea that all that it takes to get rid of clutter is a little effort and determination. While a "just do it" attitude does help you get started and persevere, clutter-clearing is not quite so simple as that. Running unprepared into the not-so-simple aspects of clutter can bring all of our good intentions to a halt.

For every piece of clutter that has piled up because we've been too busy or too distracted to deal with it, there's probably at least one piece that you have avoided dealing with for emotional reasons. The underlying problem is not procrastination, it's that dealing with clutter means dealing with our own difficult emotions:

Getting rid of clothes we'll never fit into again means accepting our current shape and level (or lack) of fitness.

Getting rid of an expensive item we never use means admitting that we made a poor decision when we bought it.

Getting rid of books and magazines we don't have time to read means accepting that we will never have enough time or attention to explore every topic that's of interest to us.

Getting rid of possessions remaining after a loved one has died means coming to terms with our loss and grief.

Acknowledge to yourself that clearing out your clutter will involve some emotional risk. Start by exploring why keeping certain kinds of clutter feels comforting to you. For example:

If you grew up with very frugal parents who taught you not to be wasteful, getting rid of items that are still useful may trigger feelings of guilt. (This is very common among the "Baby Boomer" generation, whose parents may have experienced hardship and deprivation during the Great Depression and/or World War II years.)

If you grew up poor and hungry, surrounding yourself with material goods may feel reassuring that you will always have enough.

If you suffer from low self-esteem or come from an abusive environment, you may unconsciously feel that you don't deserve beautiful surroundings, or that you will be punished for trying to create them for yourself.

If you have experienced a difficult loss through the death of a loved one or the end of a marriage, getting rid of that person's things can feel like a betrayal of your love.

If you have an attic or basement full of supplies for a hobby you hoped would become a career, clearing it out may feel like giving up on your dreams, or it may force a confrontation with the fact that you are getting older.

If you lack confidence in pursuing a long-held dream, keeping your clutter can keep you from having to go out and actually do it.

Healing and growth come from recognizing your feelings, no matter what they are. If your enthusiasm for clutter clearing suddenly turns into feelings of anger, resentment at the task itself, or a vague sense of anxiety, that's a sign to pause and reflect on what deeper feelings are being triggered.

Many of our reasons for hanging on to clutter are, at their core, about fear: fear that we won't be equal to the challenges of the future, and fear of confronting our regrets about the past. Clutter can be comforting; it acts as a buffer between us and reality.

Here are some points to help you maintain a perspective of clarity as you work on your clutter:

Living clutter-free does not mean living in a sterile environment; it means getting rid of the excess so that everything around you is there for a reason.

The past is over and the future isn't here yet. Confronting the emotions raised by clutter will make living in the present less threatening.

In the course of clutter clearing, you may get rid of something that you later wish you'd kept. Emotionally healthy people do feel regret; but then they let it go, trusting that an equal or better item will be available if they need it.

Letting go of regrets about your present clutter will help free you from the fear of regret that drives the accumulation of future clutter

People who are able to live without clutter trust themselves to make good choices. As you become more conscious of what you allow into and keep in your home, you will develop a higher level of trust your own decisions.

Hoarding against an uncertain future reveals a lack of faith in the ability of the Universe to provide what you need at the time you need it. The antidote is to focus on gratitude for all that you now have, and for all the ways in which you are already being provided for.

If difficult feelings come up for you as you work through your clutter, acknowledge them. You may discover that you just aren't ready to confront some tasks or part with some things yet. It is self-defeating to push yourself all at once through changes that are too large for you today. Be gentle with yourself, take baby steps, and work at your own pace.

Remember that the space you create by releasing clutter will allow all kinds of gifts to flow into your life, on the physical, spiritual, and emotional levels. Letting go of excess makes room for blessings.

January 07, 2008

Here is an article about some simple and practical steps to starting a Gratitude Journal.

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

Creating A Gratitude Journal By Doreene Clement

4.19.02 Today I am grateful for ___________________ .

As I write the above line, I wonder, "What is my answer?" My first thought is, "I am grateful for today." Then I realize there are so many people, places and things for which I am grateful. Everyday the list grows.

Everyday there are things that happen to us, and for us, that make us grateful. Sometimes, we even find, that after the passage of time, we become grateful. Take time today, tomorrow, and the next day to think about for what or whom you are grateful. Then write it down in your journal. Or maybe send a letter or a card, with dates and experiences to that person.

You can start keeping a journal or diary where you date and write in daily, weekly, or monthly about what you are grateful for, why and the circumstances that created the gratitude. This becomes a story and record of your feelings and warm experiences of what you have given, and also what you have received.

You can also create individual gratitude journals for your spouse, your children, parents, a friend, etc., that you journal in for a period of time. You can write about them sharing what you are grateful for about them. Get a new journal to use for this purpose only. Pick a colored pen or several colors. You can express your feelings with certain colors, green for a growth memory, blue for peaceful times, you decide what each color means and note that in the front of the journal. Date each entry and describe events, memories, or thoughts that you have about that person. Describe what they have given you, what you have observed, what you wish for them. Tell them about how grateful you are for them in your life, and why. This becomes a treasured keepsake and a priceless gift.

Telling someone you are grateful for them in your life, for what they have done, for who they are is a very powerful expression of caring and love. Telling a stranger who has given you something, directions, good service, a smile, that you are grateful for what they have done and given you is another form of connection. Spread the idea of gratitude. You may see something on TV or read about someone. Send them an email or letter of appreciation for who they are, what they stand for, or for what they have done.

Today I am grateful for ___________________ fill-in this blank with what your are grateful for.

As I was thinking about what I am grateful for, I of course thought of my many wonderful, dear friends. So, I decided to email and ask what they were grateful for. I asked them if I could also share their responses with you, and here they are…

"Today I am grateful that I get to spend time with my children."

"Today I am thankful for a generous heart that loves to spill over to others...and is constantly replenished by my beautiful family."

"Today I am Grateful for the joy of friends. Today I am grateful for the light in the eyes of my friends. Today I am grateful for the roses in my garden. I am so very grateful I met you."

"Today I am grateful that I can continually forgive myself. I can forgive myself for judging myself harshly when things don't turn out just the way I was attached to them turning out. I can forgive myself when I am disappointed that I didn't speak up and say exactly how I felt about a situation. I can forgive myself because when I did speak up, it didn't come out of my mouth the way my mind thought it would. All in all, I am very grateful that I am me. I wouldn't want to be anyone else in the whole world....and that's gratitude!"

"Today I am grateful for a wife, 4 children and a daughter-in-law who are all working hard to find out what it is their Savior would have them do in life and then do it."

"Today I am grateful for another experience of realizing that I am, indeed, safe and provided for."

"I am grateful for days, like today, when my gratitude gallops gleefully ahead of me and I have to skip to keep up with it, instead of haul it behind me like a wagon load of manure, hoping it will carry its own weight - by tomorrow."

"I am very grateful for the healing work that I do. I work long, hard hours, but I really enjoy helping people feel better. How many people can say that they love their work or feel that they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing?"

"Today, I am grateful for a Loving God who nutures me. I am grateful for my 89 year old Mother who has cared for me and is still vibrant, helpful, and alive. I am grateful for my Granddaughter Hayley who holds my hand, trusts me, and I know loves me somewhere in her very special heart. I am grateful for good health which sustains me. I am grateful for my friends and acquaintances who care about me and bring so much joy into my life. And, finally, I am grateful for libraries, and the internet, and transportation which constantly open new vistas in my horizon and let me appreciate this vast world and its infinite knowledge and power available to all those who are curious enough and ambitious enough to embrace them."

"Today I am grateful for gentle friends, and a loving Heavenly Father."

"I am grateful for the Divine Connections in my life - My family and friends. We laugh and cry together. With them I feel I belong and am loved. They are my greatest teachers. We validate each other. When depleted I seek them out. They renew my spirit I am blessed. I am also grateful for the roadblocks and failures in my life. They turned out to be valuable lessons that led me to new opportunities and connections I wouldn't have had otherwise. They presented new Lifepaths."

"Today I am grateful for all the wonderful people in my life who challenge me to think differently."

"The scent of freshly cut grass coming through my open windows."

"Today I am grateful for opening my eyes to see my husband on my side and my pug at my feet. I am grateful to look out my bedroom windows to see another day full of possibility as the sun slowly warms up my sweet backyard alive with quail, doves, hummingbirds, rabbits and all kinds of natures noises. I am grateful to feel my breath as it wanders through my body waking me up. I am grateful that I have one more day to enjoy, and be amazed, and be involved with life. And I am very grateful that I can go through another day full of awe and gratitude."

"Today, I am grateful for my life, health, and for my mother still being alive."

"I'm grateful for the support of many, many wonderful women in the community."

"I am grateful for being able to carry the message that Light and Love is always present and everlasting. I get to do this on a moment to moment daily basis. I am grateful for all the loving people that I am blessed with in my life. I am grateful that the universe provides completely and abundantly. I am grateful to be alive and living full out."

January 06, 2008

Well, you all knew this was coming, didn’t you? SO, for those of you who are on the fence about taking out the trash – here you go! The suggestions below don’t conflict with any of the work you might be doing with spellmaker, so don’t worry about that J Everything below can only help!Light and Love

Sister Bridget

How Clutter Affects Your Love Lifeby Stephanie Roberts

Clutter in any area of your home is a sign of stuck, stagnant energy. The more clutter you have, the more sluggish the energy becomes. When the areas of your home associated with romance are cluttered and untidy, your love life is affected as well. From a feng shui perspective, the three places in your home that have the strongest impact on your love life are your bedroom, the Relationship Area (I'll tell you how to find that in a moment), and the space around your front door. Here's why:

Clutter in the Bedroom Your bedroom is strongly associated with the intimacy of a romantic relationship. Clutter in the bedroom can contribute to fatigue, irritability, lack of focus, and difficulty sleeping. When you and your partner are tired, cranky, and distracted much of the time, your relationship is probably not getting the quality attention it needs and deserves. If you are single, a cluttered bedroom will make it more difficult for a new relationship to get started; all that stuck energy literally makes it hard for you to meet someone new. And that's before a potential partner gets a good look at the mess you are living in! Decluttering your bedroom is an excellent way to shake all that stuck energy loose and make room for a new relationship.

Clutter in the Relationship Area The feng shui "ba gua" is a map of the energetic influences of a space. Some people use the ba gua according to the compass directions; with this method, the Relationship Area is the southwest sector of your home or of a specific room. Western feng shui orients the ba gua to the entry to a space; with this method, the Relationship area is the back right corner of the home or of a room. Instead of wondering which method to use, why not check out them both? Look around the SW sector of your home, and in the SW part of your bedroom. Now check the room(s) in the right-rear corner of the house, and look at the far right corner of your bedroom. Like a wet blanket thrown over a fire, clutter in any of these areas can smother the passion and intensity in your romance. You aren't much fun to be around when you feel depressed, indecisive, ineffective, creatively blocked, overly emotional, or too lethargic to care - which is how you are likely to feel about your love life if your Relationship areas are filled with clutter! Find these areas within your home and bedroom, and make them your top priority for clutter-clearing attention.

Clutter Around the Front Door The third major factor is the area around your front door. The main entrance is called "the Mouth of Chi" in feng shui, because it has the strongest influence on how chi (energy) flows into your home. You can't nourish your body without opening your mouth to eat. Similarly, your home can't benefit from fresh, vital chi if the front door is blocked with clutter or rarely used. Go take a look at your front door. Does it open all the way, or have you stored things behind it? Is your foyer or front hall clean and welcoming, or is it filled with stuff you haven't gotten around to putting away or getting rid of? When was the last time you used your front door?

The front door is associated with opportunities. If you've been trying to meet someone new without success, getting rid of clutter around the front door and using that entry more often are a good way to shift that stuck energy. You may find that opportunities to connect with someone new come to your attention more often, and that you are more likely to take advantage of them instead of feeling so tired you'd rather stay home. If you are in a relationship, a cluttered front entry can contribute to feelings of boredom and being stuck in a rut with each other. Opening the front door more widely and frequently is a good way to breathe new life into a less-than-exciting romantic connection.

When you have cleared the clutter from important areas of your home, you should see a shift for the better in your love life. For those who are single and looking for love, making space in your home literally creates space for a new relationship to come in. That new partner may manifest for you right away, or it may take time for the energy shifts to result in a new connection. Either way, the space you create by getting rid of clutter will help to lift your spirits, improve your mood, and increase your energy -- which will make you more enjoyable and attractive to everyone you meet, old friends and new.

If you are in a partnership that has not been going well, clutter-clearing alone is unlikely to solve all of your relationship problems. However, by clearing out key spaces you create mental and emotional space for greater clarity about the issues and behavior patterns that contribute to difficulties in your marriage or partnership. With greater clarity comes a greater capacity for wise decisions and appropriate action. You may even find that releasing clutter results in releasing a foundering relationship as well. Accept that it's all for the best, and focus on the new space you have created - in your heart as well as in your home - for a new and better love to come along.

January 05, 2008

One aspect of the Journal I keep is about gratitude. Making sure every day I acknowledge the good things in my life and give thanks for them. It’s really important to me. Some days I am in a funk, and it takes me a few minutes to get started, but once I get rolling, I just start to feel better! Anyway, I found this article about someone else who is keeping a gratitude journal, and some of the issues she struggles with as well. Keep on writing!

Light and Love,

Sister Bridget

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Keeping a Gratitude JournalBy Elisabeth Kuhn

Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I make Thanksgiving resolutions. Every year, I resolve to resume my practice of keeping a gratitude journal. And every year, about three weeks later, I lose the journal. Not that this stops me. I just write my entries in some other journal, or a notebook. You may consider this weird, but for me, the act of writing things down seems to be the important part. It’s almost as if the writing action alone does something to the synapses in my brain that helps me process and store the information. Like everybody else, though, I get those warm fuzzies more at the end of November than at any other time of the year. As it turns out, I’m hardly alone with my seasonal preoccupation with gratitude. At Thanksgiving, people all over the country sit around tables filled with turkey, brussels sprouts, candied yams with marshmallow topping, cranberries, and pumpkin pie, and take turns sharing with their loved ones the things they feel grateful for. A wonderful tradition indeed – but what about the rest of the year? Lately, with our growing understanding of the Law of Attraction and especially The Secret, we’ve become so much more aware of the importance of gratitude and appreciation, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day. We know that expressing appreciation lifts our spirits and raises our vibrations. And with that, it seems to change everything around us – we start to draw to us things that we want, people that are friendlier, meetings and plans that go more smoothly. In short, things work. Still, sometimes it can be quite a challenge to feel grateful. Deadlines have a way of getting in the way as does frustration with red tape. Annoying colleagues and bosses do too, as do incompetent or aggressive drivers, infused with road rage. Ultimately, there are simply too many things on everybody’s plate. It has gotten so bad that some people’s idea of a really great time is a good night’s sleep. I dare you to try an experiment. On a day when you’ve gotten up on the wrong side of your bed, and things have gone from bad to worse, take a few minutes to reflect. What is there in your life, right now, for which you are grateful – or could be, if you made an effort, a really hard effort if necessary? Yes, it’s hard to find things to be grateful for when things are scary and not going well. But the happier you can make yourself feel, outward circumstances notwithstanding, the more likely you will be to get a new job, especially a new job is one that will work well for you. Sometimes I think of it as some kind of grateful pill that makes everything better. Of course, that’s when I remember to take it. Here’s where the challenge comes in, though: how to make sure I remember? We don’t seem to have too much trouble with taking prescription drugs or other kinds of medication every day. How do we manage to remember that? Before I started taking the pill for the first time, I was very worried that I’d forget. And you know what? Over those 10 years I took it, I forgot it maybe twice. What helped me then was the same thing that will work here as well: creating a routine. Probably the easiest way to do that is by keeping a daily gratitude journal, with emphasis on daily. Just keep it on your bedside table and write into it every night. That’s how I remembered the pill. That, and a little flower sticker on my bathroom mirror. The important part is this: every time you see it and write in it, it will realign your thinking. And once you do that, your vibes improve, and the Law of Attraction will, once again, begin to attract the things that are in line with what you really want.

January 04, 2008

The other day I came home from work and just could NOT wait to wash my face. How bizarre, right? I didnt want to get the mail or check my messages, or have a cup of tea. I got home, went straight to the bathroom, got my Sheer Goddess Marmalade Dreams Facial Cleanser and washed my face and instantly relaxed. Later on as I was doing some work in the kitchen, I got to wondering what it was about this product that made me feel so good and why my face feels so wonderful. I mean, I have more than a whole shelf full of skin care products, cleansers, toners, lotions, etc etc. Products from nice department stores, some from the grocery stores, some from popular catalogs. So, I pulled up a chair and I started to read the labels of all of these products I have and are now gathering dust since I started using the Marmalade Dreams. What I found was really amazing.

First, I know there is a HUGE vibrational difference between regular products and Sheer Goddess products. Each and every Sheer Goddess product is consecrated on the point of Erzulie Freda by our own beloved Mambo Sam. But even before the consecration, Mambo Sam has made sure to choose the absolutely finest ingredients, observing fair trade philosophy and selecting organic ingredients whenever possible. What I am trying to say here, is that the good vibrations from these products start way back at the source of the ingredients, and the philosphy behind the products, and then are blanketed by the consecration.

Second, I noticed something very interesting. When I looked at the ingredient lists on the multitude of products I have on my shelf, almost every one of them listed water first. A few listed alcohol, then water. When I looked at the list of ingredients for the Sheer Goddess products, what did I see.....

Aloe Vera is well-known for soothing sunburned skin as well as healing dry skin. Along with caring for our skin, Aloe Vera has a wide variety of valuable uses from treating acne and PMS to treating stomachaches and ulcerations. Aloe Vera is one of the most famous and widely used herbs of all herbal remedies. It is also one of the oldest known herbs even being mentioned in the Bible.

Not only beneficial for soothing sunburned skin, Aloe vera is also used in the treatment of frostbite and different types of burns, including burns resulting from chemicals and radiation exposure. It has been used for thousands of years to treat wounds as well as for wound-cleaning and also has a pain-relieving effect when applied which is due to its content of magnesium and salicylic acid which promote an analgesic effect.

Because the plant was considered healing to the skin, Alexander the Great conquered the island Socotra, where aloe was first cultivated, in order to preserve a good source for treating his soldiers' wounds.

Aloe vera is also used internally to treat ailments such as constipation, heartburn and inflammation of the esophagus. It is beneficial to the kidneys and is used to prevent the formation of kidney stones as well as reducing the size of existing stones.

High in Vitamin C and selenium, Aloe vera is considered to be an antioxidant, which is thought to protect the cells from damaging oxidation better known as free radical damage.

Awesome stuff, really, when you think about it. AND the first ingredient listed on all Sheer Goddess products. Only the best for your skin and your spirit!

OK, here is the second article about taking out the trash and why its so important! Please, you guys, leave me some comments about this stuff, let me know if its helpful , and what tips you have tried and found really useful.

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

What Clutter Clearing Can Do For Youby Stephanie Roberts

You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits of clutter clearing simply by imagining your life free of all the negative effects of clutter: lack of focus and clarity; feelings of being professionally, creatively, spiritually, and/or romantically stuck; insufficient time and attention for self and family; increased stress, irritability and depression. Wouldn't it be great to be free of all these?

No matter what other factors may be dragging you down, I guarantee you that clearing your clutter will dramatically improve your mood and energy. And then any other problems you are confronting won't seem quite so bad.

When you first start clutter clearing you may be surprised at the emotions triggered by the simple act of dealing with your stuff. You think you're just cleaning out your home, but what you're really doing is rooting around in dusty corners of your psyche and coming eyeball-to-eyeball with unresolved business from the past. The personal relics that lurk within your clutter - college papers, family memorabilia, detritus from a long-dead marriage - can be easier to ignore than to carry to the dump, which is why they've been haunting the back of your closet for so many years.

As you persevere with clutter clearing a moment will come when you realize how much lighter and happier you feel. In the process of coping with your clutter, you've reconnected with your inner self, with dreams and wishes long ignored. Those you've outgrown can be released with a fond smile. Those that make your heart leap with recognition and longing... well, now you have the space, time, and energy to pursue them.

Clutter clearing gets you out of your rut. It shakes loose frozen aspects of your soul and allows them to journey into your heart where they belong and where you can listen to and act upon them.

Eventually, you will find yourself turning to clutter clearing instead of aspirin or caffeine when you notice that you're not as clear-headed, focused or insightful as you'd like to be. If you're feeling lethargic and don't want to exercise, you'll know to examine whether you've allowed a zone of stagnation to creep in around the couch (where you are most likely to be having lazy thoughts in the first place). If you can't seem to decide on priorities for your business, you'll realize it's time to clear off the desk and catch up on paperwork. And if you're not eating as well as you should, you'll remember that clearing off the kitchen counter and cleaning out the fridge will help get your eating habits back on track.

What this all boils down to is that managing your clutter helps you feel like less of a victim and puts you back in control of your moods and your life. You have greater confidence in your abilities and decisions, so you feel more hopeful and optimistic about the future. You respect yourself more, and will probably find that other people treat you better as well. You feel less stressed, and have more courage to try and do new things. You stop turning to material objects to make you happy, because you are content with less.

Clearing out your clutter creates space for possibility. You may find yourself deciding to go back to school, change your career, start your own business, go out on a date, take up painting or singing or ballroom dancing, try out for a part in a play, or... what's your dream? (No wonder clutter clearing can be a little scary! Suddenly there are no more excuses for why you can't pursue that dream.)

Your friends will say you look terrific. They'll wonder where that sparkle in your eye came from, and how you manage to look both energized and serene at the same time. It's because you have released from your life everything that is no longer useful to you. You have let go of the past and are no longer hoarding for the future. You have made space for living freely in the present, where peace resides.

January 03, 2008

I hope 2008 is going really well for each and every one of you so far! So, the send process I mentioned earlier was Journaling. Journaling is simply writing but also so much more. What you journal about is up to you. There are as many different ways to keep a journal. Just a few examples are:

Daily Diary - Writing a daily journal is one way to balance your emotional ups and downs. It is also an excellent way to communicate with your inner self.

Gratitude Journal - Express your joy and happiness by keeping a gratitude journal. Make a note of everything, no matter how small or how big, that gives you joy or brings you happiness. It is always beneficial to focus on the positives, but it is especially healing during the bumpy times to be able to turn to a book filled with positivity and gratitude in your own handwriting.

Dream Diary - Scenarios and symbology experienced during slumber have special meanings. Record your dreams first thing in the morning while they are still fresh in your mind. Self analysis will come later when you have the time to explore the scribblings in your dream diary.

Travel Log - Jotting down your vacation highlights as you experience new places and different cultures will keep these special adventures alive forever.

Memories Journal - Writing down stories about your childhood makes for a good keepsake to pass down to your children, grandchildren, and to be cherished by generations to come. While you're at it, write down the stories told to you by your parents and grandparents. So many stories, so little time. Write them down before they are lost forever.

Garden Journal – Keeping track of plants, weather, birds spotted, butterflies, new things spotted every day. This allows folks to compare the life of their garden from year to year.

Scrapbooking – Yup, even this is considered a form of journaling!

The journaling that I do is a combination of the first two mentioned above. I write daily, but I don’t really consider it a diary. I do have a section where each day I do write about what I am grateful for. Reflecting on gratitude really sets me in a great frame of mind before I do any casting or candle work. Journaling helps clear my head and organize my thoughts and feelings. As the weeks pass by, its become more and more part of my regular routine,and easier , too!

So, where can you find a journal that speaks to you? Gotta shop around! This is the fun part! You can go as simple as a spiral notebook if you like, but taking some time and picking out something that is special just to you, in color, texture, size, etc will really help you look forward to picking up your journal and putting pen to paper.

Places I looked when I was starting was Ebay, Amazon.com, Levangers. Check out this site – Journals Unlimited. Lots of great selections there.

So, below is a really good article about the basics of journaling for a spiritual purpose. Hope it helps some of you along this wonderful path.

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

Journaling: A Tool For Your SpiritBy Susie Michelle Cortright

The fountain of personal wisdom may be as close as your nearest penThat’s because the single most essential instrument for nurturing your spirit is a personal journal.

The word "journal" may mean 100 different things to 100 different people. For a psychologist, it denotes a tool for a patient’s self-analysis. For the writer, it may be a notebook of ideas and ramblings. For most of us, the word denotes a day-to-day diary, a log of action and reaction.

For me, a journal is a notebook of ideas and solutions that I have discovered using my conscious and subconscious mind.

Journaling is a remarkable device for easing worry and obsession, for identifying hopes and fears and for allowing your creative self to expand, increasing your level of energy and confidence. It harnesses the power to tap into successively deeper layers of your subconscious mind while it zaps the nervous, passive energy that ties your stomach in knots and leads to more guilt and worry.

Journals are tools to help you discover the wisdom you already possess. Sometimes, this wisdom will surprise you. Other times, it will challenge you. Always, it will come directly from you, empowering you to trust yourself and to take action by giving you the deep-seated knowledge that you know more than you think you do.

You will have found the answers within yourself, and you will return there for further instruction.

In addition to revealing your personal insight and wisdom, the journaling process can help dispel feelings of loneliness and confusion by helping you discover a unity within yourself. As your conscious and subconscious mind work together to solve problems in black-and-white, the ideas are validated and more easily applied, even if you never share these ideas with a soul.

THE ART OF JOURNALINGThe act of writing has tremendous potential to tap the subconscious and to arrange conscious thoughts in a clear pattern as words flow from your mind down your arm, into your hand and across the page.

Banish your internal editor. This is that voice that booms from the darkest recesses of your brain: "You shouldn’t be writing that."

* Keep writing. Don’t erase or cross-out any words. If you’re heading in a direction you would rather avoid, start a new paragraph. These accidental forays may be telltale signs for issues you need to address. And erasing just takes more time that you could be using to focus on you.

* Date each entry in your journal. Note the time, place, and any details regarding your mood and emotions that will be necessary for context when you read back on your work.

After you have finished a journal entry, take a walk or get up for a glass of water before you reread your entry, and remember to reread this entry with compassion. Then, write an Insight Line--a sentence or two about what you think the piece is trying to tell you.

Sometimes this Insight is as plain as day. Other times, it will take a little reading between the lines. If the subject is a delicate one, there is nothing wrong with putting off re-reading it for a few hours, days, even weeks. Some entries you may not read again at all. The Insight comes from the act of writing itself, the Insight Line simply helps you discover it.

KEEP THE WORDS FLOWINGThere are as many journaling techniques as there are people who practice the craft. The important thing is to explore the underlying layers of your mind--using whatever conduit works for you.

Get creative with the techniques you use. We all have a subconscious mind that communicates to us in a different way. If you are stuck and have nothing to write, try recording snippets of conversations, facts, feelings, fantasies, descriptions, impressions, quotes, images, and ideas. Draw pictures. Make a collage from a magazine. Use the technique that best suits the way in which you express yourself. You know your own mind and how it best communicates with the world. I promise you’ll have an even better sense of the way in which your mind works after the completion of a few journal entries.

Clustering is one method that works well when the ideas don’t flow on their own. Put the central idea in the center of the page and circle it. Then, without pause, make associations, placing them in new bubbles and tying them to the main idea. The result is a complex matrix of ideas, many of which you didn’t even know you had. If you wish, compose these thoughts later into a cohesive essay that says exactly what you want to say. Or simply move on.

Whatever your technique, start mining your subconscious today.

------Susie Michelle Cortright is the founder and publisher of Momscape, an online magazine devoted to nurturing the nurturers. Read inspiring articles and essays, and register to win free pampering packages. http://www.momscape.com

Just wanted to update you all and let you know that I have changed my basic relationship tarot reading to the Lover’s Path spread described below:

The Lover's Path Tarot reading is intended for times when a romanticrelationship requires deep examination. This tarot spread offersromantic advice. It studies the relationship on four levels. Thethirteen cards chosen offers a complex picture of the relationship asit is at that moment, providing food for thought.

This spread has 4 more cards and is more indepth than the spread I was using before. I have been working with this spread for a little while now, and just started offering it to clients. So far, the feedback has been really wonderful!

If you are interested in a reading, or have any questions, please feel free to email me at bridget@spellmaker.com

Spellmaker Family Blogs

Pictures of Mambo Sam's first US edition of the Thoth Tarot deck. This is a very rare deck, with really incredible art work. The illustrations of the Thoth deck are rich in symbolism, based upon Crowley's stated desire to incorporate symbols from many disparate disciplines, including science and philosophy, as well as to draw on his extensive knowledge of various occult system (as described in detail in his Book of Thoth). Hope you enjoy the photos.

Lwa Bottles by Sister Bridget

Welcome!
In this album are various photos of my altars, rituals I have done, and some of my tools used in this very special work. I hope you enjoy your time here ;-)
In Service,
Sister Bridget Corfield
de la Familie Fleurette-Beauchamp

As many of you know, each June the Spellmaker Family perfomed month long rituals to Papa Legba, petitioning also to St Peter, St Anthony and St Lazarus along with Papa on each Saint's Feast Day. What a wonderful month June is for us, and how rewarding to petition for our beloved clients in each ritual we perform. This album has various pictures of the altars I set up all month. I hope you enjoy the pictures! Updated to include both 2009 and 2010 rituals
Love
Sister Bridget
Familie de la Fleurette-Beauchamp-Corfield

Sorry I couldnt make the convention and party with you all ;-( I would have been there if I could have. I did have a Fet Ghede celebration of my own, and here are a few pictures I took. Hope to see you all next year and have a really grand time ;-)